


Endothermic Reactions

by Shamelessquestions (KagekitsuneXXX)



Series: Domestic Bliss [12]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Family, Gen, M/M, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-15 12:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2228433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KagekitsuneXXX/pseuds/Shamelessquestions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian and Mickey plan their big move and Iggy has some thoughts on the matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Endothermic Reactions

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Sarge,” Ian adjusted his grip on his gun as he stared out into the wasteland of a battlefield. The gruff voice that responded was hardly comforting.

“Keep it together, Gallagher; it’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I know, Sarge. It’s just that...If it goes south today, if anything goes wrong, I just want you to know, I’ve always sort of had a thing for you.”

Mickey snorted sharply as he bit back a laugh and Iggy could only roll his eyes. These two clowns had better get it together, because he was not about to get his ass handed to him out there. Milkovich paintball was serious business.  The deck was already stacked against them as is—the opposing blue team of Jamie, Tony, Joey and Mandy were already gunning for them. He and Mickey only had Tony’s son, AJ, and G.I. Joe. If Ian and Mickey were going to spend the whole time flirting and goofing off, he might as well have Mandy take his head now.

As it would turn out though, Mickey knew what he was doing when he secured Ian for their team. Then again, Mickey always knew what he was doing. Ian Gallagher was a total ringer. The former ROTC cadet and army drop-out approached the game with clinical focus and precision that were downright terrifying. Who could have seen that coming? He would pop up out of nowhere and nail the enemy with extreme prejudice and before long the blue team was paint splattered and fuming. He, Mickey and their nephew were simply on clean-up, picking off the stragglers after Ian had ploughed through them.

It had taken an underhanded bit of trickery to bring Ian low. Mandy had thrown down her paintball gun and approached him under a figurative white flag only to lead him into an ambush. The kill wasn’t legit, but it had been worth it to see the squibs finally exploding against his pristine black uniform. Ever the drama queen, Ian played it up beautifully; pirouetting slowly, eyes wide, before crumpling to the ground. Iggy could only sigh as AJ and Mickey rushed to his aid.

“Gallagher!” Mickey cried as he skidded next to his fallen teammate. He gingerly pulled off Ian’s helmet while TJ watched, eating up all the drama with a spoon.

“This is it, Sarge,” Ian coughed weakly, “it’s curtains for me.”

Mickey could not fight his smile, “‘curtains,’ Ian, really?”

“Take my watch, Sarge. It’s the only thing of value I have. Live…and give it to my brother.”

“Sure, I’ll just keep it shoved up my ass until I get out of here,” Mickey agreed as he cradled Ian’s head.

“To keep it safe?”

“Sure, let’s go with that,” Mickey answered tongue-in-cheek, making Ian laugh before he remembered he was supposed to be dying and immediately expired in dramatic fashion. None of them could hide their amusement when AJ raised his hands to the heavens and let out a heart-stricken wail. “You wanna dial it back a little there, home alone?” Mickey teased before getting up and dragging his boyfriend to his feet, “we have some dirty, fucking cheaters to take care of.”

* * *

Since he was mostly responsible for the decimation of the blue team, Ian was quick to offer to pay for everyone when they settled in at Tommy’s for the after game meal. Iggy had to give him credit, Ian was dancing his ass off trying to make a good impression and win them all over. He seemed to have a game plan for each of them too. Tony adored his kid, so the fact that said kid was looking at Ian with stars in his eyes, pretty much took care of the father. The truth was, almost all of the Milkovich brothers had been won over by Ian’s soldier of fortune shtick and Mandy had been a done deal for ages.

Ian was careful to ease up on the PDA with Mickey. He kept his hands to himself and the conversation funny and crude, just the way the Milkoviches liked it. A part of Iggy wanted to tell him he didn’t have to try so hard. None of them had a problem with him being Mickey’s boyfriend, or with Mickey being gay for that matter. Sooner or later, they had all figured it out or had some sort of inkling. After all, Mickey had always been careful, but he was hardly perfect.

Once in a while Iggy would stumble across a fag mag that hadn’t been concealed properly, or caught Mickey looking at a dude funny. It didn’t really matter; Mickey was just Mickey. Okay, it wasn’t as if Iggy got the whole gay thing, but hating everyone and everything was Terry’s bag, not his and not his brothers’. They did as they were instructed, beat down who they were told to and tried their best to make sure Terry’s attention was always focused elsewhere. The way Terry hated and lashed out was so passionate and all-consuming; there was nothing but ambivalence left in his wake for his children.

The Ian thing had been even less surprising. Iggy would be the first to admit he wasn’t necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed, but the clues had been pretty hard to miss. From the way Mandy had seamlessly transitioned from Ian to Lip, without fuss and fanfare, to the way—despite the apparent break up—Ian was just always fucking there.  Suddenly, he and Mickey had become best friends and they were always together. Mickey would unconsciously talk about Ian more than he talked about anything ever; just casual mentions here and there. Iggy soon knew about how dumb Ian was for wanting to go to West Point and join the army. He and his brothers would hear about how much Ian sucked at video games, and how annoyingly polite and naïve he was. Eventually, they all learned to just tune him out.

In the end, the initial weirdness of it aside, none of them really cared that Mickey was gay as long as he remained their fearless leader, and they cared even less about who he was fucking. So yeah, Iggy would have told Ian to relax and not try so hard; that he didn’t have anything to worry about from the Milkovich boys because they were pretty cool about the whole thing; except they weren’t—at least not Iggy.

It was one thing that Ian was always around, monopolizing Mickey’s time and energy, and had them knocking over pharmacies and supply trucks to net his special snowflake medication. It was one thing that Ian seemed to get Mickey into more trouble than Iggy thought possible and that he was the neediest fucker ever. But now this had become some next level shit. Iggy had quietly wondered if Ian was one of those people for which nothing would ever be enough, and now he was talking about taking his brother away; more than talking actually.

New York Fucking City…now wasn’t that some advanced bullshit?

* * *

It was too soon before they were all back at the Milkovich house for the farewell barbeque, not that they were calling it that. After weeks of watching Ian and Mickey huddle and plan and work out the logistics of their move, the time was suddenly on top of all of them.  The barbeque was peaceful and light-hearted enough and the entire neighbourhood seemed to be there. Iggy finally saw his opening when Mickey took a break to sit on the steps and watch as Mandy clung to his boyfriend and shepherded him around the proceedings, acting as a buffer for Ian in case her brothers decided to act up. Iggy plopped down next to his brother and handed him a beer, and the two sat in silence for a while, passing a joint back and forth.

“New York, huh?” Iggy asked before belching loudly into the night air.

“Yep, the Big Apple.”

“So you sure about this?”

“Yeah, Davey’s got an apartment lined up. Says it’s shitty, but we can afford it. He’s been telling me about something in construction too.”

That was all well and good to know, but it isn’t what Iggy meant, and he knew Mickey probably knew that too. Iggy sipped on his beer and looked across at Ian and Mandy who were busy chatting with Fiona—yet another one with doubts. Ever since the move was announced, Iggy had been trying to figure out just what it was that bugged him so much about Ian and it finally came to him in a flash. Ian was an endothermic reaction. It had been one of the last things Iggy had learned from his Chemistry class before he kissed high school goodbye. Exothermic reactions released heat energy and endothermic reactions sucked it in.

As far as Iggy was concerned, Ian was an endothermic reaction through and through. He seemed to feed on energy, thrived on it, drew it out of everyone around him. He demanded all this attention, love and care and the occasional grand romantic gesture. Honestly, Ian had to be one of the sweetest guys out there, but it was still alarming, because the only other person Iggy would classify as such was Terry. Mickey would kick his ass if he ever knew Iggy was even imagining such a comparison, but of course he didn’t think Ian was an evil prick like his dad, but fuck if he didn’t seem just as exhausting.

Iggy would watch his brother and his boyfriend and marvel at how the person you relied on to make you happy is the same person who cracked you wide open. Until Ian came along, he had never seen Mickey get as mad as he did, cry as much as he did and look so overwhelmed and bewildered. On the other hand, he could honestly say he’s never seen his brother so happy either, so there was that.

“You know what I mean, man,” Iggy persisted, “you sure about doing this with him? He looks like he’s a taker,” _and a progressive one to boot_ , Iggy thought to himself.

“It’s not like that,” Mickey started defensively, before pausing and looking out at Ian; a million thoughts apparently racing through his head before he finally shrugged. “It’s not like that, but it wouldn’t fucking matter if it was. It’s fine if he’s a taker; I’ll give.”

A lot of that was probably the weed talking, but Iggy could hear it—the steel beneath the offhandedness of the statement. It was the Mickey who had made up his mind, who didn’t care whether or not Ian would inevitably suck him dry. Ian was his family now and that’s all there was to it.

“You guys gonna be okay?” Mickey scratched at his cheek and glanced furtively at his brother, “you know, with me taking off and all that. New York’s not that far. I can still help you guys run shit…”

Iggy wasn’t sure what life would be like without Mickey around to save them from themselves, but the way he sees it, it was probably time they found out. If any of them could survive outside the Southside, Mickey could and he would never admit it to his face, but Mickey deserved a hell of a lot better than what they had here.  “Man, fuck off, we’re fine. Just don’t go full fairy when you get there. That place changes people.”

“Fuck off,” Mickey snorted and laughed with his brother before his smile gentled for Ian who was looking over at them.

Fucking Gallaghers, man, there was no beating them. Iggy had his reservations, but there was something to be said for someone who could make his brother smile like that and take the chances he was taking. Plus, the G.I. Joe thing was seriously cool; there really was no denying that.

“Fuck it, go full fairy, man; it’s fine. You know we’ve always got your back.”

“Yeah,” Mickey pulled on the joint before handing the last of it to his brother, “I know you do.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you got the watch reference, you and me could be besties.


End file.
